Soap dispensing apparatus



July 22, 1969 E. A. UHLMANN 3,456,850

SOAP DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 2'7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fax/57 4 UA/MAA/A/ ATTORNEY July 2", 1969 E. A. UHLMANN SOAP DISPENSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27. 1967 IN VE NTOR. feA/esr 4. Z/HLMAA/A/ imw 93% ATTORNEY 3,456,850 SOAP DISPENSING APPARATUS Ernest A. Uhlmann, 5202 N. Saddle Rock Drive, Phoenix, Ariz. 85018 Filed Apr. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 638,687 Int. Cl. B67d /64, 35/38; B65d 5/74 US. Cl. 222180 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A soap dispensing apparatus consisting of a collapsible bottle of accordian pleated construction arranged to be demountable fastened to a wall adjacent a lavatory or sink and which is actuated by pressure on the side of the container in the direction normal to the wall surface upon which it is mounted to selectively discharge the contents of the dispenser.

Background of the invention (1) The field of this invention lies in the area of flexible plastic containers for discharging the contents thereof by squeezing or manipulating the container, and is particularly directed to soap dispensing apparatus of this character demountably secured to a wall surface adjacent a lavatory.

(2) Heretofore the use of bar soap at the lavatory or sink has proved unsanitary, messy and highly inconvenient.

The use of mechanical soap dispensers both with liquid and powdered soap in such situations has likewise been highly unsatisfactory and unsanitary because of the failure of the mechanical apparatus and the messy conditions associated with mechanical devices when manipulated by the user.

Further, the replacement of supplies of soap in the mechanical devices involved considerable time and effort resulting in poor and inadequate maintenance of the devices in proper operative condition at all times.

Summary of the invention In applicants invention it is an object to provide a soap dispenser for a lavatory or sink which is completely selfcontained and has no mechanical moving parts.

Another object is to provide a soap dispenser in the form of a flexible plastic bottle or container of special constructed shape and function which provides the shipping container for the soap and also is demountably secured to a wall surface and manipulatable under such conditions to provide a highly efficient and sanitary soap dispensing unit.

Still another object is to provide a flexible plastic soap container of a disposable type which can be demountably secured on a wall surface and operated as a soap dispensing unit and when empty thrown away and immediately replaced by a similar full unit with a minimum of time and inconvenience so as to readily maintain the soap dispensing apparatus in proper operating condition.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a soap dispenser incorporating the features of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 partly broken away to disclose the discharge tube of the device.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1,

nited States Patent 0 3,456,850 Patented July 22, 1969 illustrating the device actuated to discharge a supply of soap.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the device particularly showing a quick attach and demount support for the device on a wall surface.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 88 of FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 99 of FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary front elevation of a modification of apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 1111 of FIG. 10.

Description of the preferred embodiment As an example of a preferred form of the invention, there is shown a soap dispenser comprising a pillowshaped bellows receptacle 10 having a flat vertically disposed back 11 which may be secured to a wall surface 12 by suitable double faced demountable adhesive tapes 13.

The top portion 14 of the receptacle 10 is not formed with the accordion pleated portion 15 of the remainder of the receptacle. A neck 16 is formed integral with the top portion 1 4 having a suitably formed lip 17 to demountably receive a closure cap 18.

A dispensing tube 19 has its lower open end 20 located at the bottom and toward the back of the inside of the receptacle 10 and extends upwardly and curves outwardly through a grommet 21 to project outwardly as an upwardly sloping dispensing tip 22 having an outlet opening 23a.

With liquid soap 23 in the container as shown in FIG. 4, the user merely presses inwardly with the finger 24 on the lower front surface 25 to displace the liquid soap 23 out through the dispensing tube 19. It is important to note that the pressure toward the wall surface 12 exerted at the point 25 serves to maintain the adhesive tapes in secure position at all times, especially when the device is being manipulated in dispensing the soap. The unit of this arrangement may be kept supplied with soap by removing the closure cap 18 and pouring in the supply and then sealing again with the cap.

In the arrangement of FIGS. 6 to 9 inclusive, there is provided a self-locking and releasable mounting device for the receptacle 10 taking the form of a base plate 26 having its rear face 27 secured to the wall surface 12 by suitable double adhesive tapes 13. The front face 28 of the base plate 26 is provided with dovetail guideways 29 which demountably receive the beveled rear edges 30 of the back 11 of the receptacle 10.

The lower portion 31 of the base plate 26 has an arcuate dovetail guideway portion 32 which receives and stops the downward movement of the receptacle 10 relative to the base plate 26 when the receptacle is placed in operative position on the wall surface 12.

A releasable latch piece 33 fixed at its upper end 34 to the base plate 26 engages its lower end 35 behind the surface 36 of the latch notch 37 suitably formed in the back of the receptacle 10 to secure the receptacle in operative position. Inserting a suitable tool or screwdriver down into the release slot 38 releases the latch piece end 35 from the release slot for upward withdrawal and removal of the receptacle 10 ready to replace it with a new full receptacle.

In certain instances it may be desirable to have the discharge pipe 39 connected through a discharge passageway 40 formed in the closure cap 41 having the integral dispensing tip 42 with outlet opening 43, the finger actuation of the receptacle at the point 25 as in the FIG. 1 arrangement.

3 In regard to the modification shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the regular cap 18 is utilized as in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, but the dispensing tube 19 is done away with and a bottom neck 44 is formed in the lower front surface 25 of the bellows receptacle 10. A specially constructed cap 45 is demountably secured to the neck 44 as in the case of the cap 18 on the neck 16. Mounted in the cap 45 is an air inlet check valve 46 and a liquid discharge slit 47. Both the check valve 46 and discharge slit are normally closed to liquid flow until the receptacle 10 is pressed in at 25 wherein check valve 46 is closed while liquid squeezes out through the slit 47 to dispense the soap. When the portion 25 is released, air enters through check valve 46 while slit 47 remains closed off, readying the receptacle for the next discharge of soap.

While the apparatus herein disclosed and described constitutes a preferred form of the invention, it is also to he understood that the apparatus is capable of mechanical alteration Without departing from the spirit of the inven tion and that such mechanical arrangement and commercial adaptation as fall within the scope of the appendent claims are intended to be included herein.

1 claim:

1. A liquid dispenser comprising in combination:

(A) a flexible plastic receptacle having a vertically disposed back surface,

(B) means for securing said back surface to a vertical mounting surface,

(C) a filler neck on top of said receptacle,

(D) a dispensing cap having an air intake check valve and a fluid discharge slit mounted on the lower front surface portion of said receptacle,

(B) said receptacle being so constructed that pressure applied to the lower front surface and dispensing cap in a horizontal inward direction normal to said back forces fluid in said receptacle outwardly through said dispensing slit in said dispensing cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 'ROBERT E. REEVES, Primary Examiner F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 222211, 482, 490 

